That famous pink suit. She called the color ‘raspberry,’ and said it was one of her husband’s favorites. She wore it on November 22, 1963, the day they decided to take a drive through Dallas, Texas. Little did she know that pink suit, with all its bright color and promise of hope, would become a symbol from the most tragic day of her life.

The woman, Jackie Kennedy. Her husband, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. 50 years after the assassination of JFK, Americans continue to be fascinated by the story of Camelot and the Kennedy family. Now, InFusion Action Theatre is preparing to tear down the myths and search for reality through the eyes of Jackie, a one-woman play by Nobel Prize winning playwright, Elfriede Jelinek.

Tackling the challenging role of Jackie (in the pink suit) is Nancy Fancher of Brighton, a local performer with a dance background. Fancher is under the direction of Darryll Rudy of Irondequoit, founder of InFusion Action Theatre.

“People tend to look at a person in a position of power and only see the superficial,” said Fancher. “We think it must have been so wonderful to be someone like Jackie prior to the assassination, but there was a very dark side to her life, private matters that people weren’t aware of.”

Jelinek, the playwright, said her goal was to ‘both decipher the Camelot myth and give back the figure her history. My characters are not real human beings, but figures of speech...when they stop talking, they disappear.”

Rudy was attracted to the complex work after the first read-through, and instantly knew Fancher was suited for the role.

“I’m attracted to plays that really speak to the human condition,” said Rudy. “Jackie embodies the true aspect of what it means to be human- there are times of happiness and times of suffering, but we can’t be afraid to look at the suffering.”

Opening night of Jackie at the Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter House in Rochester coincides with the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination. Each of the three performances are held in different small venues throughout the city, allowing for a jarringly intimate theatre experience.

“It’s like Jackie is just sharing her story with friends; she will literally walk over to an audience member and speak to them,” said Rudy. “It’s a completely different experience from what you normally see at the theatre.”